Flames of Despair
by Kazoot
Summary: With the world at peace, and having nothing better to do, a Braixen sets out to join a certain rescue team, only to find it cluttered with mysteries, and problems. When she learns the truth behind one of the team's members, she sets out to make things right. (Sequel to my other story, "A Test of Fate". Takes place in the world of "Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity".)
1. Recruitment

**Phew... It's been about 8 months since my first story. And I'm happy to finally work on a sequel! Hopefully, this time, my writing won't suck as much... But, anyway, I think it's great to be writing again. I hope you like this story, because I plan to make it better than the first. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Sometimes, people need to realize that they can't quit, even when their future looks bleak. You can't just ignore your responsibilities. You need to do everything in your power to see that everything becomes right again..._

"Sheesh... They didn't have to yell at me. If they wanted me to go out and do something, all they had to was ask..."

I walked along a worn, dirt path, with my hands behind my head, just taking a stroll. The sun radiated across the land, bringing warmth, light, and life. The sky was a crystal blue color, with a few clouds swimming through it. Another bland, boring day...

Well, except for the fact that I was thrown out of my home. Then again, I can see why sitting around and doing nothing for a good few years lead my parents to throw me out. But I don't think _yelling_ at me was the best way to go about that. It's not like we fight or anything. Heck, I think they _need _me there. But whatever. Might as well go and see what's out there in the world. What else is a Braixen to do?

Before leaving, my mom handed me some kind of paper. It had the name of some "team" on it. What was it called again? I held up the paper, and read it carefully.

"Team... PokéHeroes?" I said it aloud to myself. What a weird name. Still, it's better than anything I could come up with. The paper also showed some place called, "Paradise". On the bottom of the paper, there were five Pokémon standing together in front of pretty nice looking resort. I guess that's the "Paradise", but I didn't know who the heck any of these Pokémon were. The only ones I could sorta make out were the two in the center: some snake-looking one, and some brown fox. My mom said I should go see if I can do anything out there for the team; Try to help other people for a change. I decided... eh, why not?

* * *

A few days had passed as I traveled from town to town, asking for directions to where this "PokéHeroes" team was. Everyone knew about this team, except me. It made me feel like I missed out on something important. Well, I guess it's better to join the bandwagon late, than never...

Thankfully, the world was very peaceful. You never heard many stories of any misfortunes happening to any Pokémon. So, naturally, I had no trouble along my travels. Well... that is until the last town I got to. Something felt off, here... The sky was cloudy, blocking the sunshine from the sun. I didn't see many Pokémon around here either. I couldn't put my finger on it, but everything felt really gloomy and somber. It's probably best I just get out of here as quickly as I can...

I walked into the nearby inn. A Swanna was running it. She was turned around, cleaning some dishes. I walked up to the counter.

"Uh... excuse me?"

The Swanna turned around and gave me a cheerful smile.

"Well, hello there- oh?" She tilted her head, and gave me a puzzled look.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Pokémon like you before... You must be new around here."

"Yeah, I've been getting that a lot..." I saw her lean to the side and stare at the stick protruding from my tail.

"Uh... What's with the-"

"It's my wand. My tail keeps it's fire extinguished..." I explained.

"Ah... well, sorry for staring," she apologized. But I didn't really care. Everyone always stares at it. I could never see what the big deal was, though...

"Anywho, I am Swanna. And you are?"

"Braixen..."

"Well, nice to meet you, Braixen. If you're looking for help, you've come to the right place. What can I do for you?"

I handed her the paper with the team on it (I've been holding on to it).

"Do you know where I can find these Pokémon? Or rather, do you know where Paradise is?" The Swanna grabbed the paper from me. Her eyes widened with shock.

"You're looking for Team PokéHeroes? What for?"

"I dunno. I haven't got much else to do with myself at the moment. I figured I'd help them out." The Swanna gave me a worried look.

"Is there something I should know about them?" I asked.

"Hm... This is an old flyer. I haven't seen the five of them get together in quite a while..." Swanna let out a sigh. I could tell she was getting sentimental, but I didn't really care. I just wanted to find them.

"Not to be rude, but could you hurry up? I'd like to meet them by the end of the day."

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry. I got a little nostalgic for a moment... Paradise is right by here. All you have to do is head straight from the exit, east of here, and then just continue straight. If you see a giant tree near a cliff, then you're on the right path."

"Hm. Alright then. Thanks!"

"No, no, thank you. When you meet the team, give them my regards!" She handed the flyer back to me, then I waved goodbye and left.

Okay, something clearly isn't right. This flyer is old? How old exactly? She said Paradise is still here, so that should be a good sign, right? At first the only reason why I was going to see them was because I had nothing better to do. But now I'm really curious...

I followed along the path Swanna had told me, and sure enough, I came across a giant tree. It loomed over the edge of a cliff. The old, withering branches and roots were gnarling around each other. I got a melancholy feeling from staring at it. Almost as if it was trying to tell me all the experience it had seen through the ages... As if some important events took place here... I hurried along past it.

Finally, I came across an archway, signifying some kind of entrance. Over to the right was a sign. It read:

Paradise  
Home to Team PokéHeroes  
**Leaders:** Dewott & Mienshao

However... those two names, "Dewott" and "Mienshao", were written underneath something else. I think they were two other names, but I couldn't tell because they were crossed out, and illegible. So much mystery behind this place...

I looked over and saw a Pokémon walk out of a nearby house. He went up to some kind of message board and began to pin some papers to it. As I walked over to him, I noticed he was a Pokémon that I had never seen before. He had light blue skin, and a beaver-like tail. I decided to say hello.

"Uh... hello?" The Pokémon's head perked up, and he turned to face me. His eyes widened at my appearance.

"Hello ther- woah! Those ears are huge..."

…

Wait, what?

"Excuse me!?" I said, irritatingly. The Pokémon immediately put his hands over his mouth and began to tremble. He knew he made me angry...

"I-I'm sorry! I don't think I've ever seen a Pokémon like you before..."

"You're not the first..." I grumbled. I was still irritated.

"I didn't mean to insult you... but your ears... you have really big ears..." Alright, that's it. I lightly pounded my fist onto his head (I didn't want to knock him out).

"Yeah, and you've got a big mouth!"

"Owww!" He rubbed his head in pain. Clearly this was getting me no where.

"Ugh, screw this. You're no help." I walked away from him.

"Wait! Ugh, my head... Come back!"

He wasted my time. I'm not going back to him. I hoped entering the building he came out of would give me answers.

Upon entering, I noticed in the center of the room was a giant table, with maps and charts spread all over it. Around the left edge of the room was a set of beds. I assume this was the PokéHeroes' headquarters, or something like it... In the back corner to the right, another Pokémon sat down, meditating, on a pillow. He was in deep thought, but I had to interrupt him. I cautiously walked over. I could see that he had yellow-tipped whiskers, and whip-like sleeves. Again, another Pokémon I didn't know... Honestly, I stood in front of him for a few moments before I spoke.

"E-Excuse me..."

He didn't open his eyes.

"Is this Paradise? Is this where Team PokéHeroes is?"

He remained silent. But then he slowly opened his eyes. He gave me an intrigued look.

"This is indeed, Paradise. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Braixen..." I introduced myself.

"Braixen... I don't think I've seen one before..."

"Sheesh, everyone keeps telling me that..." So much déjà vu...

"Hm... You've traveled a long way to get here then, correct?"

"Uh, yeah, that's right..."

The Pokémon got up and walked in front of me, with his sleeves dragging along the ground. He was slightly taller than me.

"My name is Mienshao. It's nice to meet you, Braixen. What assistance do you seek from us?"

Mienshao? So he's one of the leaders of the team...

"I've come here to join your Team." I said it firmly. "I want to be a member of Team PokéHeroes!"

Mienshao's eyes widened.

"You wish to join us!? May I ask why?"

"Hm... Life's been pretty boring for me. I thought I'd try to do something different for a change."

"Well, well... We haven't had a new team member in quite a while- oh?" Mienshao peaked around me. "Dewott, why don't you come meet our newest member? I'm sure she'll be a lot of help."

I turned around and saw that other Pokémon from before... the one who made fun of me. So... he was the other leader to the team? Hm... He was peaking around the entrance. He slowly walked in, keeping an eye on the distance between us.

"N-Nice to... meet you..." Dewott stammered.

"Dewott, why don't you get the registration form for Braixen."

"Are you serious!?" Dewott was trembling again. He looked over at me. I gave him a stern look. He then panicked a little, and went to get registration form. He opened a drawer from a nearby cabinet and grabbed a single sheet of paper. He hesitantly walked back to me. Now I was getting irritated because he was taking too long.

"Hey, Dewott, you can relax. I'm not going to hurt you again... Unless, of course, you really want me to."

He gave me another look, to make sure I wasn't lying. He let out a sigh of relief, and stepped in front of me, holding out the paper.

"Please place your paw-print here:"

He pointed at the bottom of the paper, but I looked down at my hands.

"... But I don't have any paws..."

"Oh... hehe," he rubbed the back of his head, "my bad, just put your hand-print on it, then."

I placed my hand on the spot he pointed to. I realized that this was a special type of paper that saved an imprint of my hand. He pulled away the paper, and went to go store it.

"Congratulations! You are now a member of Team PokéHeroes!" Mienshao praised me.

"Wait, that's it?" I asked. "You just need a hand-print? No kind of battle test requirement or something?"

"Well, uh..." Mienshao paused for a moment. "We use to have a battle requirement, yes... But, due to an _incident_ that happened a few years ago, we decided that testing new recruits wasn't a good idea."

"Why? What happened?"

Mienshao let out a sigh.

"Perhaps it is best I tell you some other time... For now, it is more important that you get acquainted with Paradise."

Hm... Again, it's small, but there's something they're hiding from me. Dewott came over and joined us as we were leaving. I could tell he was still trying to avoid me.

"Dewott, I already told you I'm not going to hurt you..."

He hesitantly turned to face me. He bowed his head apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry about earlier... I didn't mean to make fun of you. I was just shocked to see a Pokémon I had never seen before. I couldn't keep my comments to myself... How about we try again?"

He held his hand out to me.

"Hello, I am Dewott, and it's nice to have you as a part of our team... Braixen, was it?"

I smirked and shook his hand.

"Honestly, I'm shocked you're one of the leaders of the team," I joked. Dewott laughed.

"But just so we're clear..." I leaned down next to his ear, "... if you make any other kind of comment like that about me again, _I will hurt you._"

I winked at him and smiled, leaving him with a dumbfounded, wide-eyed expression on his face.

The three of us walked out to explore Paradise.


	2. Origins

**Wow, I didn't think I'd get this chapter out that quickly! But I'm glad I did. Now, heads up, this chapter is a little lengthy, and this is because I have LOTS of explanations happening in this chapter. I did this so that if you haven't read the first story at all, or if you haven't read it in a while (it has been 4 months since I finished the first story), then this would refresh your mind. I don't plan to make another chapter like this, because I understand that they can get boring, and maybe confusing... Again, this chapter is to refresh your mind with the first story, and it adds some more explanations to other things (especially later on in this chapter). I hope it helps!**

* * *

Paradise... I didn't really take the time to look at it before, but this place... seemed kinda nice. A waterfall flowed over at the east end of Paradise, while many berry and seed fields were well cared for over in the west. Mienshao explained to me the different kinds of berries and seeds that they were growing. He told me how much water they needed, when to be watered, etc., since I would have to take care of them at some point. Occasionally, I saw a few other Pokémon wandering around. But why where they here? I asked Dewott.

"Hey, what's with the other Pokémon around here? I mean, I know it is a Paradise, but are they part of the team? Do they live here?"

"Well... They're actually a little of both."

I gave Dewott a confused look.

"You see, all of these other Pokémon do live here. We have special houses put up for them. However, they're not actively worried about joining us on any job requests. If there is a certain Pokémon that could be useful to the mission, we will request them to join us. Again, however, the choice is entirely theirs."

So all the Pokémon that live here are actually a small part of the team? That's interesting... It makes their team seem much bigger.

"However," Dewott continued, "keep in mind that you're like Mienshao and me. You're a part of the main team. Unless you have a serious injury or illness, you're bound as a member to actively take job requests and complete them."

I nodded my head.

"Right, I got it."

The whole reason I came out here was to do _something_. It's not like I would want to skip doing any work, anyway...

"So... this place ain't half bad," I commented.

"Oh how I wish I could say the same for the rest of Paradise..." Mienshao remarked.

"Wait... Is there something wrong?" I asked. Mienshao let out a sigh.

"Please follow us. You will see for yourself as we continue on."

Mienshao's words worried me. The place is called _Paradise_ for crying-out-loud. What could be _wrong_ with it?

The three of us casually walked on a small path through some thick foliage. When we came out the other side, I had to stop for a moment. If anyone saw this, they'd have to take a moment to look it over. The rest of Paradise... was basically a barren wasteland. The grass was completely stripped from the ground, showing nothing but dirt. I couldn't see any running water (besides the waterfall at the entrance to Paradise). The only thing here was a few rundown buildings, some rough hills, and way to the north, I saw a flight of steps that lead up to some giant building at the top. There were also many dead shrubs, bushes, and wilted trees, too.

"What... happened?" I asked, stunned.

"It is a long story..." Mienshao began, "when we first created Team PokéHeroes, crimes and lots of other troubles were happening all over the place. We were swarmed with job requests to help other Pokémon. Of course, we tried to complete as many as we could." Mienshao paused for a moment. "Do you happen to know of the story of Kyurem and the Bittercold?"

Kyurem? Bittercold? I had no idea...

"Nope. Sorry, no clue," I answered.

Mienshao looked down and sighed. Dewott had the exact opposite reaction.

"What!? You don't know about the Bittercold? How could you-"

"Dewott, stop!" Mienshao made us both jump. "Perhaps... it is better if we explained at another time. For now, Braixen, all you need to know, is that it was an important event that caused many changes in the Pokémon world..."

"Uh... okay..." I felt a little uneasy. Why couldn't they just tell me what happened? What are they hiding from me, and why are they hiding it? Do they not trust me? Mienshao continued his explanation of what happened to Paradise.

"After the events of Kyurem and the Bittercold, a few other Pokémon decided to form more Rescue Teams. We gave them supplies and told them to head off somewhere where they know they will be asked for assistance. Of course, we've been keeping in touch with each other through letters, to know how things are going."

"So... there's more than one Paradise?" I asked.

"No. Our team just so happened to be formed, here, in Paradise, which was founded by..." Mienshao paused, "... another member of our team. All the other teams around the planet are merely situated in places where they get requested for help. It is also because of us here, that they exist where ever they are."

"Basically, we're the reason there's more Rescue Teams on the planet." Dewott clarified.

Honestly, I was starting to get bored of this story. I just want them to tell me what happened.

"What does any of this have to do with Paradise being the way it is here?" I motioned to the big, open, dead plain in front of me.

"If you would allow me to continue..." Mienshao got irritated at me. "With the other teams being formed all over the planet, we finally saw our true mission be fulfilled: To be able to help every Pokémon on the planet. There are three other major teams on this planet besides us. Team Go-Getters in the north, Team A.C.T. in the east, and Team Charm in the south. We're on the west side of the planet.

"With the formation of more Rescue Teams, our work load became smaller. In fact, it became a lot smaller... We had so little work that we honestly barely did anything. Because of this, we started getting less money and resources from helping other Pokémon, which meant we couldn't fully fund and take care of Paradise. Because of our lack of funding, unfortunately, Paradise has fallen to the state of what you see it as now. We mostly maintain the area around the entrance to Paradise, so that, should any visitors come by, they will not be scared off from how Paradise really looks... And that, Braixen, is the truth behind Paradise... Although, I should mention it wasn't always like this..."

Mienshao looked up at the sky.

"We use to have many more Pokémon helping us around here. This plain that you see here, use to be a giant, open field, where everyone would play games and just relax. The idea was to make Paradise a care-free environment, so that, no one has to worry about any troubles in the world. But we knew it wasn't fair for everyone else if we just sat here and did nothing. So we formed a Rescue Team to help make the whole planet a better place... Oh how I would give anything to go back to those days... back when I was still a Mienfoo, and Dewott was an Oshawott..."

So, Paradise was made so that the world could be a better place. And now that it is at peace, Paradise, is no longer a _paradise_. I heard Dewott say something under his breath.

"Hmph... if _he_ didn't leave, then we'd still be fine..."

"Hm? If who didn't leave? You're telling me there's a Pokémon that made you guys like this!?"

Dewott and Mienshao looked at each other before answering me... Almost as if they telepathically communicated.

"No... No Pokémon caused Paradise to fall... at least, not intentionally..." Dewott answered. But I knew he was lying. All these secrets they were keeping from me... I finally snapped, and demanded that they tell me.

"Alright, look guys, I get that I'm a new member, and that there's some things that you shouldn't tell me right away, but how am I suppose to trust you if you keep mentioning things around me that I don't even know about? Why can't you just tell me what's really going on? I'm a member of this team, too! I should know what's happening! What the hell are you hiding from me!?"

Dewott flinched at my anger. But Mienshao simply closed his eyes and smirked.

"For someone who came here because they had nothing better to do, you seem very curious about the origins of the team..."

Mienshao stepped in front of me.

"I understand your need to know about the team, now that you're a member... However, I need you to trust us on this..." Mienshao paused, "we will tell you more about what happened... But now is not the time."

I thought his answer was pretty stupid, and it still bothered me that he wasn't going to tell me. But at this point I decided to give up. It's probably easier if I just let it go for now...

"Hmph... fine..." I grumbled.

"Thank you for understanding. I promise, in due time, we will clear things up for you. We just need you to understand that we can not talk about certain things, for now... Now then, let us discuss your duties for the team..."

* * *

A couple of months had gone by. I became familiar with the Rescue Team and how it all works. I learned more about the other Rescue Teams, and what Pokémon were a part of them. Sometimes we even had to work together for certain jobs... Speaking of jobs, they were definitely right about the workload. We usually only had three or four jobs a day. And they only took about an hour to finish each one. They ranged from finding a lost item, to finding a lost Pokémon. We never took care of any criminals. Although, this worried me. There could be a large group of evil Pokémon gathering together somewhere right now, and we wouldn't even know. Hm... But, even if that was true, we wouldn't be able to really do anything. All we can do is just sit and wait... hoping for _something_ huge and eventful to happen. Of course, just because we had little work, didn't mean the jobs themselves were boring. In fact, they usually involved us traveling across dangerous environments. I actually had to use my small psychic powers to save Dewott from falling off ledges and such. Mienshao was always well-balanced, and never really needed any kind of help; he was pretty self-reliant.

Outside of jobs, Dewott and Mienshao had simple tasks at our base. Dewott handled _all_ the paper work: filling out job requests, reading letters from other teams (which he received almost everyday), etc. And Mienshao, as far as I knew, just sat and meditated. Occasionally, he and I would train and spar. I learned a lot about combat from him. Although, there was only so much he could teach me, since he was a fighter, and I was a psychic. But, he did teach me one crucial element: Always keep your mind clear; Just Focus...

When the two of them were both busy with whatever, I usually just sat in a bed and did nothing. While I am use to doing nothing, it angered me because that's not what I joined this team for. I wanted to help, and do good for other Pokémon...

Anyway, that's pretty much how working for the team has been. Just simple, yet I learned more about the world everyday.

We had just finished our last mission for the day, saving a Skitty that got lost in a cave filled with lava. We came back to the base, and prepared ourselves for dinner.

"Alright, so what berries do we eat for tonight?" Mienshao asked.

"Get some Rawst berries," Dewott replied, "I'm still concerned about the burn marks I got earlier..."

I gave Dewott a confused look.

"Why would _you_ be worried about getting burned? You're a water-type, aren't you?"

Dewott shook his head.

"You might think that fire can't hurt a water-type, but trust me, you never know what could happen in the middle of a battle..." Dewott shivered.

I shrugged and decided to eat the Rawst berries anyway. They had a bitter taste, but I didn't mind it. As we sat down at the center, round table and munched on the fruit, I noticed Mienshao periodically glance over at me. He kept looking at me through our whole dinner, and it began to bother me. What does he want? If he had something to tell me, he'd just say it outright. So then, maybe this was something important? Finally, when I saw him look at me again, I said,

"Hmph, can I help you?"

Mienshao wasn't fazed when I acknowledged him. He let out a sigh.

"Braixen..." he began, "You have proven yourself to be a reliable and trustworthy member of the team. I believe it is time I tell you the _darker_ secret to Paradise..."

The _darker_ secret? What's he talking about?

"I am a man of my word. I told you I'd tell you this at some point in the future," he smirked.

Oh, he's talking about when I asked more about the origins of Paradise and the Team... So now I finally get to hear what happened.

"I was wondering when you'd tell me this. Honestly, though, I actually forgot you were going to tell me..."

"Yes, well... I suppose I better start with the origins of our team..." Mienshao began, "In the beginning, there were four of us: me, but I was a Mienfoo, Dewott, who was an Oshawott, Monferno, who was a Chimchar... and Eevee."

"Eevee?"

"Yes... In fact, you could say it's because of her why Paradise even exists in the first place. She was the one who started it all, and the three of us supported her."

"What happened to Monferno and Eevee?"

"Monferno is currently acting, sort of, as an ambassador for our team. He goes around to the other three major teams, and does a report on how they're doing and let's us know. He also lends them a helping hand."

"He's suppose to come back here for a few days sometime next month..." Dewott chimed in.

"Yes... And as for Eevee..." Mienshao looked down and rubbed the back of his head, "... We don't really know what happened to her..."

Eevee... Eevee... I pulled out the old flyer (which I've _still_ been holding on to), and tried to figure out which one was Eevee.

"Hm? Braixen, what is that?" Mienshao asked.

"It's an old flyer you guys put out."

"Oh!? May I see it?"

I handed the flyer to him. Dewott got up and looked at it with him, too. They stared at it for a few minutes before Mienshao turned his attention back to me.

"This was still back in our early days, when I was a Mienfoo..."

Mienshao put the flyer down and I looked at it with them. I can see Mienfoo, Oshawott, I figured Chimchar was the orange monkey there, and those two Pokémon in the center, the fox and the snake looking one...

"I assume this is Eevee?" I pointed at the brown fox.

"That is her..." Mienshao answered.

"Then who's this?" I pointed at the snake. The two of them were silent for a moment. Mienshao was the one who answered me.

"That's... Snivy..." he answered.

Snivy? So that's who this was? … I've still never heard or seen one before...

"So... What happened to Snivy?"

The two of them looked away. They looked like they were getting angry, but then their faces showed worriment.

"Snivy... was one of the greatest Pokémon we ever met..." Dewott answered.

"Indeed..." Mienshao replied, "he was a fearless warrior, given divine powers. He had no trouble taking on any Pokémon that opposed him. Being the grass-type that he was, fire and even psychic types feared him. But he was overall a kind friend that we owe our lives to..."

Snivy was a great hero, huh?

"What exactly did he do to become so great?" I asked.

"About 10 years ago, a few months after we began running Paradise, Eevee, who was our leader, got caught in a bad situation, and we couldn't help her. However, Snivy, who was a lone traveler at the time, came by and saved her. Although, he was quite a strange character... he mostly had issues trusting others. But the thing that made him most unique, was his sword."

"His sword? He uses a weapon?"

"Correct. We were just as confused by it back then, as you are, now. But later, it was actually because of Eevee that Snivy learned that his sword had divine powers. Although... we had to go through a series of mishaps before he figured out how to use them. In fact, there was one incident where Eevee almost died, were it not for Snivy's powers...

"When he finally realized his true potential, and could control the power, Snivy joined the team. And were it not for him and Eevee, we may not have stopped the Bittercold..."

"Hm... It sounds like Eevee and Snivy went through a lot, together..." I commented.

"Well... Actually, the two of them became lovers..." Dewott added.

"Really!? But... can they even...? How did they-"

"OH! No, no! They weren't in _that_ kind of relationship. It was more of a deep admiration for each other... Anyway, they never made a big deal out of their love, though. They did always work together, but were more focused on completing their mission than anything else..."

So Snivy and Eevee were a great duo... And they stopped the Bittercold... What was the Bittercold, though?

"You mentioned they stopped the Bittercold, but what is the Bittercold? And how did they do it?" I asked.

Mienshao answered, "Well, before Snivy had joined the team, we discovered that there existed a place in the sky that was made of complete ice. It was called Glacier Palace. The palace was home to the legendary Kyurem."

I still didn't know who Kyurem was exactly, but I let Mienshao continue explaining, anyway. But, how did they get to some place in the sky?

"How did you travel the Glacier Palace if it floated in the sky?"

"We had two friends of ours, Espeon, and Umbreon, who were researchers, go out and... well, research the Glacier Palace. They concluded that the only way to get there was through a magnagate... basically, a portal that transported us there. They were able to set one up for us, and it teleported us to the floating palace..."

"And what happened to Espeon and Umbreon?" I suddenly realized that the team used to contain more core members than I thought...

"The two of them, being researchers, decided to go off and explore more of the world on their own... We don't know where they currently are, but they did promise to come back again, one day...

"Anyway, going back to Kyurem, he guarded a mysterious force called the Bittercold. The Bittercold was... I don't even know what it was. It wasn't living, but it wasn't exactly inanimate either. All we knew, was that the Bittercold was a strong force that fed off of Pokémon's negativity. And once it grew strong enough, it was going to spread all over the planet, and drain away the life of every Pokémon..."

Oh wow! That's definitely a scary... _thing_. To think that it was just hiding, waiting to kill us all... I shivered...

"So, how did Eevee and Snivy do it? How did they stop the Bittercold?" I asked.

Mienshao stood up. He walked over to a cabinet near the entrance, opened a drawer, and pushed a button. Another button revealed itself in the center of the table. Dewott reached over and pushed it, making a loud _click. _Finally, a small part of the wall in the back of the room opened up and revealed a small chest. Mienshao opened up the top of the chest and reached in. What could be in it? Before pulling out his hand, he said, "Pay close attention, for I will only show you this once..." He held his hands together, holding whatever it was he pulled out. He slowly walked over to me, and opened his hands up, revealing the object. A shiny gold pendant, with a radiant blue sapphire in it glistened in my eyes. It was beautiful!

"This..." Mienshao said, "is Eevee's pendant that she received from her mother. While it may look like a valuable gem, it actually acts like a source of power, which it borrows from Arceus himself..."

Wait... this gem calls for Arceus' power!? Incredible! I continued to stare into the pendant...

"The pendant only activates when a certain set of _verses_ is chanted with it. However, Eevee _has_ to be the one who says the first verse, otherwise it doesn't work. While each verse grants the chanter a small amount of power, when all six verses are chanted together, they grant a huge, expansive amount of power to each Pokémon that chanted a verse. Using this power, plus Snivy and his divine sword, we were able to destroy the Bittercold."

Mienshao got up and placed the pendant back in the chest. The wall closed, and the button on the table hid itself.

"After that, word quickly spread about the success of our team, mostly about how Snivy and Eevee saved the planet. That's when all the other Rescue Teams formed, as I've already explained a while ago... And, well, that's how Team PokéHeroes stopped the Bittercold, and saved the planet..." Mienshao concluded.

I realized now that Team PokéHeroes must have a high reputation for completing such a task. They saved the whole planet, and every Pokémon on it. I bowed my head to Dewott and Mienshao.

"Thank you for saving the planet. Although, I apologize that I didn't know about the event. Otherwise, I wouldn't have spent a good part of my life doing nothing..."

"It's not really us you should be thanking," replied Dewott, "again, if it wasn't for Eevee and Snivy, we wouldn't even be here."

That reminds me...

"Oh yeah, so what happened to Snivy and Eevee afterward?" I asked.

Mienshao let out a sigh.

"We're... not entirely sure... It happened a few weeks after stopping the Bittercold. While we did stop it, we still received job requests; Of course, not as many though. Now, we don't accept these specific requests anymore, because of the event I'm about to explain, but in addition to job requests, we also took challenge requests. If a certain Pokémon wanted to challenge our team, we'd simply pick a Pokémon or two, to represent the team, and go fight them. Pokémon who sent challenge requests usually did it to see how strong the team was, and more often than not, would join Paradise, if we won. Think of it as a friendly wrestling match. So, one day, Snivy and Eevee were looking at the job listings, and saw a challenge against a Dusknoir... In fact..."

Mienshao nodded to Dewott, who then got up, went over to a small set of drawers in the corner of the room, and began flipping through a set of papers. He pulled out a small sheet, and handed it to Mienshao. He looked it over and then handed it to me.

"Read it."

I scanned the paper over.

**Challenge Request  
****To:** Snivy and Eevee of Team PokéHeroes  
**From: **Dusknoir  
**Location: **The Forest of Shadows  
_"So, you're the fabled Pok__éHeroes, huh? You've saved the whole planet, from it's beautiful corruption... How could you!? I challenge you're two leaders, Snivy and Eevee to a battle. Meet me in the Forest of Shadows..."_

"Beautiful... corruption?" I read it aloud, "clearly, there's something wrong here..."

"Snivy and Eevee suspected that, too. However, they still went, but this time, Eevee brought her pendant with her. Usually she didn't bring it, for fear of losing it. We awaited for their return that whole day... We became more and more worried as the sun began to set. Finally, Snivy returned..." Mienshao paused, "But, Eevee was not with him. He had his head down the entire time. We asked him what happened, and where Eevee was, but he would not answer any of us. He walked by all of us, as if he had completely failed the mission. He went to the normal-type dojo that was at the north end of Paradise, on the top of that huge hill, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, that place with that long set of steps leading up to it... Why did he go there?"

"If I had to guess, it was because it related to Eevee... somehow... I don't really know... I, personally, went to see Snivy early the next morning. I didn't say anything to him. I just sat next to him. We both stared out at the horizon and watched the sun rise. Just before the whole sun revealed itself, Snivy got up, and he handed me Eevee's pendant. He said, 'Protect if with your life.' He then got up, and I had to follow him to the entrance to Paradise. Before he walked off and left Paradise for good, he stopped just under the entrance, and I stood behind him. His last words were, 'I failed,' then he ran off. That was the last any of us ever saw Snivy, and Eevee. When the news of Eevee and Snivy's disappearance got out, the reputation of the team fell, and, unfortunately, _this_ became the initial cause for why we lost job requests in the first place..."

"So, since Snivy left, and with Eevee gone, Paradise fell?"

"Correct."

"And you originally didn't want to tell me because...?"

"Because we were afraid that you would leave the team... Not to sound desperate, but, we really could use more help from more Pokémon. With the right Pokémon on our team, we could improve Paradise greatly..."

"Do you hate Snivy for leaving?"

"Yes, but... I'd be more happy than angry to have him back now. Plus, he saved all of us; we can't hold a grudge forever against him..."

"And you still don't know what happened with their challenge?"

"We don't know. Snivy never told us. All we can assume is that the two of them didn't win... and clearly, something much _worse_ happened..."


	3. In Search of the Truth

A day had gone by after learning of Snivy and Eevee. I began to think more about what I've done with my life, in comparison to Snivy... It seems like he just got lucky. He stumbled upon the team, helped them out, and then he went through a series of trials and discovered his true purpose. All because he helped them the day they met... But what have I done? I sat around and did nothing. I've accomplished nothing. The value of my existence isn't any higher than "worthless". I have no reason to really be doing _anything._ But... I don't want that. I want to be useful. I want a purpose for my life... But joining Team PokéHeroes hasn't made my life any more significant. I'm still just a little speck of dust on this planet... Is there anything I _can_ do?

As usual, the three of us just sat in our base after completing some jobs. I was laying on a bed, Mienshao was meditating on the other side of the room, and Dewott was reading through some documents at the center table. I don't know why I'm thinking of this now, but... How come the other Rescue Teams don't help Paradise? Are they in the same position as us? I asked Dewott.

"Dewott..."

"Yeah?" He picked his head up.

"How are the other Rescue Teams doing?"

"Hm..." he quickly shuffled some papers, and pulled out three letters. Then he ran his finger over the words and skimmed the documents, "As far as these recent letters from them go, they seem to be holding up..."

"Do they know about how Paradise is at the moment?" I asked.

"Uh..." he paused for a moment, "I think I know where you're going with this... The answer is, we'd rather _not_ tell them, because we don't want to discourage them. If they start worrying about Paradise, then their reputations could go down, too. After all, it's because of us that they're established as teams. Also, we don't really want them sending us anything... it would make us seem weak."

"So... do they get more jobs than us?"

"They might be getting more jobs... but they don't need to manage a whole area like Paradise. So it's easier for them to hold on to money and resources. If they have extra supplies... well, then good for them."

The other teams are just fine, and we're sitting ducks. I let out an annoyed sigh...

My mind wandered over to Mienshao. He was still meditating. I'm surprised he didn't add anything to the conversation. Hm... why does Mienshao always meditate? I think I'd get pretty bored of it...

"Hey, Mienshao..."

He didn't answer.

"How come you're always meditating? I mean, have you ever tried doing anything else?"

Mienshao kept his eyes closed, but spoke.

"Have you ever found anything else to do, besides sit there?" He asked me this in a calm way; He wasn't irritated. I took a moment to think before answering his question.

"Well... there's not much else we can really do..."

"Then there is your answer..."

I let out a disappointed sigh.

"Hm... Well, then, why _do_ you always meditate?"

Mienshao was silent. But then he opened his eyes and answered.

"I know it will seem a bit farfetched... But, remember what I told you about Snivy?"

"Yea..."

"Well, another very small detail about Snivy was that he had very 'minor' psychic powers..."

"What? But isn't he a grass-type?"

"Yes, but... well, when I asked him myself, his response was simply, just meditate. With patience and willpower, I will learn how to utilize such powers..." He looked down at his hands.

"What exactly could he do?"

"All he could manage was releasing blasts of energy around his feet and hands... It allowed him to jump great heights..." Mienshao paused for a moment and shuddered, "... he could also blast Pokémon away..."

"So, in addition to his sword, he had these powers, too? Jeez... Did he really have all that power?"

"Yes... As I've mentioned before, Snivy was a fearsome opponent to even the strongest Pokémon..."

Hmph... Snivy really is a magnificent Pokémon. Although, it's pretty stupid that he left his team. Does he know what's happened to Paradise? If so, then why hasn't he come back? Hm... I wish I could meet him...

I asked Mienshao, "Hey, one other thing... Do you think-... Do you think that Snivy is still out there?"

Mienshao looked up at me. He gave me a stern look. Uh oh... Did I anger him?

"Hm... Who knows?" he shrugged.

"Well... what if one of us were to go out and look for him..."

"You're not seriously considering going to go _search_ for him, are you?" Dewott joined the conversation.

"But... if we can get him to come back, maybe we can get Paradise fixed up..."

"No. None of us can go. We need to finish up jobs so that we can take care of Paradise, and we need the money to take care of ourselves..."

"Actually," Mienshao spoke up, "we never _did _try to search for Snivy. But that is only because we had to take care of Paradise... Now that we have an extra helping hand, maybe... it is time we did try something..."

"Hm... well, alright then... But who should be the one to go?" Dewott asked.

Mienshao walked up in front of me.

"_You_ will go look for Snivy."

"What? Why me? I don't even know him..."

"Yes... but on that day he came back, before he left for good, he wouldn't talk to any of us... I fear that he still won't want to talk to anyone else that's a part of our team. However, you're a new member of our team; Snivy doesn't know that. Therefore, I feel he will be more open to you... Of course," Mienshao paused, "we're not going to force you to go. If you'd prefer to stay here while one of us goes, then that is fine, too. The choice is yours..."

The mission is to go look for Snivy, and to bring him back to Paradise. There's a chance that I may not find him... but if I do, then we could improve Paradise... If _I _find him, Paradise will be saved. Suddenly, I found a purpose. Although small and temporary, it would prove to have a great impact on the future; _I_ will have made a difference. I decided...

"Alright then," I nodded my head, "I'll go look for him."

Mienshao smiled. "Hm... Thank you, Braixen."

I suddenly realized that it wasn't often that I saw Mienshao smile. It made me feel even better about taking this mission.

"We'll get the details figured out tomorrow," Dewott chimed in, "It's getting late... You should rest tonight, and leave in the morning."

"Right..."

* * *

The first thing I did in the morning was eat. The last thing I want is to _starve_ in the middle of the journey. As I snacked on some berries, Mienshao and Dewott briefed me on what I should do. They handed me a messengers bag filled with berries. They told me to only eat them if I got any kind of status ailment. Otherwise, I should only eat them if I get hungry.

Dewott hung a map up on the back wall. That reminds me...

"Hey, where exactly should I search for him?"

Mienshao walked up to the map.

"The only place we know where Snivy last went to..."

He pointed at a small dot on the map. It was way north of here.

"... The Forest of Shadows..."

Suddenly, I became nervous. Snivy and Eevee both went in there, but only Snivy returned. There could be a fearsome Pokémon there, waiting to kill me... I realized that this mission was more daunting than I had thought...

Dewott came over and handed me a smaller version of the map he hung up.

"I highlighted the path you should take to get there. You shouldn't come across any big cliffs, or deep rapids..."

I nodded my head. "Thanks."

I looked at the map again.

Snivy... I hope you're there...

I looked over the map, and checked through all the berries in my bag. Feeling prepared, I walked out of the base. When I got to the entrance to Paradise, I stopped and looked up at the sky. This journey will determine the fate of Paradise. I won't let the team down! I took my first step out of Paradise.

"Wait!" I heard Mienshao call out to me. I turned around.

"There's one last thing I want to tell you, Braixen..." he paused, "Remember, there is a chance that he _isn't_ there. So, don't do anything foolish. If you need to run away, then run. There is no shame in running from a foe you can't win against... Plus, the last thing I want is to lose another member... let alone, a new one..."

I became a little uneasy with Mienshao's words... But, I shouldn't quit. I want to help the team, and if this will save Paradise, then I'm going through with it.

"Alright, I understand. Thank you..."

"And, one other thing..."

Mienshao held his left hand out to me. He opened it, and revealed Eevee's pendant to me. But... why-?

"I can't explain why... but, I feel that this will be important to your success. If you see Snivy, give this to him. I feel he is the one who should truly hold on to this..."

I took the pendant from him and stared at it. He's entrusting me with this? I don't think I should take it... but he could be right. It may help me. I put the pendant around my neck. Mienshao gave me a confused look.

"You do remember that the pendant's power doesn't work unless Eevee uses it, right?"

"Yes, I know... But, I don't think that keeping it in the bag is a good idea. If the strap gets cut, and I lose the bag..."

"Ah, yes... Good point," Mienshao rubbed the back of his head.

"Hm... Anyway, thank you, Mienshao." I smiled at him, then I turned around.

"Uh, Braixen?"

I looked over my shoulder at him. He smiled, again.

"Good luck!"

I smirked at him and nodded my head. Then I went on my way.

* * *

A few hours had gone by, since I left Paradise. I followed along the path that Dewott traced for me. He was definitely right; There was no rough terrain I had to cross. I had my hands behind my head as I strolled along. The grass and the trees swayed with the weak breezes that flew through the air. The sky was a clear blue, the sun shining happily down on me. Nature made it seem like today was going to be good... however, to me, it was just a false sense of hope. I was expecting the worse to happen. Not finding Snivy, running out of berries, encountering a sinister enemy... my head was clogged with these thoughts...

Eventually, I came across a great, big forest. I couldn't even see past the the first few meters in to it. It looked like a black hole, ready to swallow whatever went in.

"Welp, guess I made it..." I joked with myself. As I took the first step in, I heard a voice. I stopped and listened... It was very quiet and faint. But, where was it coming from? I thought it sounded like it was coming from inside my mind...

_"Listen... help... the pendant..."_

The pendant? I held it up in my hand. I noticed a faint light glow from it.

"You want my help? What do you need me to do?" I tried asking it if I should help. However, I saw the light slowly dim down. Why did the pendant speak to me? Hm... This is Eevee's pendant... is she here? If so, then I guess they were right to think Snivy was here, the Forest of Shadows... I took a deep breath and headed straight in...

Honestly, I was only a few minutes in when my mind decided to get nervous and panic. I couldn't see back the way I came in, and every where I turned, it all looked the same. The thick foliage was like a giant illusion, obscuring my sense of direction. Why would Snivy stay _here_ of all places? I bet any Pokémon would become insane staying here. I continued on for about another hour, before deciding it was best if I just left. The paranoia from what lies beyond the trees kept eating at my mind, and I just had to get out of here. I'm sorry Snivy... Maybe I'll come back another time...

As I started to head backwards, I noticed some leaves rustle up above me in the trees. Someone... Someone's here! I got into a battle stance, and stayed quiet. I slowly scanned the branches above me. Nothing... Nothing... Noth- wait... Is that... another Pokémon? I couldn't tell; The figure was completely black. Suddenly, the figure vanished, and I began to panic. Where did it go!?

Unexpectedly, I felt a huge wave of pain spread all over the left side of my body. The force of whatever hit me sent me sliding along the ground up to a tree. My eyes were closed, as I winced at the pain. I slowly began to sit up, but then I heard a voice say, "Stop." I felt a drop of sweat slide down the side of my head. I slowly opened my eyes, only to be greeted by the dark figure, holding a green, leafy blade about an inch away from my throat. My mind was in complete shock. The figure loomed over me.

"Who are you? What are you doing here!?"


	4. The Legends' Proxy

My mind kept drawing a blank. The leaf blade that the figure was holding (who I obviously now figured out is another Pokémon) was just barely touching my neck. I could feel the thumping of the pain that came from that blow to my left side. Did this Pokémon slam himself into me? He was definitely quick...

He continued to loom over me... Or... well honestly, if I stood up, I'd be taller than him; He was short, but threatening. He had on a black cloak that concealed his entire body. I had no idea what Pokémon he was... Finally, he began to grow impatient from my dumbfounded confusion.

"What are you doing here? Don't make me ask again..." He pushed his blade closer to me.

"Wait, woah! Slow down! I-I'm just... looking for someone..."

"Hmph... This forest is filled with Pokémon that only care about themselves. Who could you really want to be looking for?"

"Another Pokémon... named 'Snivy'..." The other Pokémon pulled his sword away from me.

"Snivy?" He slowly lowered the blade, and turned around so that only his back faced me. "You're wasting your time... Snivy isn't here..."

I sat up, now that his blade wasn't in my face. Snivy isn't here? But how does he know who Snivy is? "Do you know anything about Snivy?" I asked. The Pokémon paused for a moment before answering.

"You really want to know more about Snivy?"

"It's the whole reason why I even came here in the first place." The other Pokémon paused, again.

"Snivy... He was a fool. He was weak, slow, and careless. He saved the world and saved many lives, but at the moment of truth, he couldn't save the one Pokémon he truly cared about..." The Pokémon clenched his hands into fists. "When he saw the true darkness of the world, he ran. He hid himself away from all of the world's problems... Like the coward he is..."

"But... I thought-"

"Thought he was a hero? Yeah, Snivy considered himself to be really great... He did help a lot of Pokémon, but deep down, he knew he was weak. Soon, his doubt took over and he failed everyone..."

What is he talking about? This Pokémon's description of Snivy brought lots of confusion with it. Mienshao and Dewott told me he was a great hero... and now I'm being told Snivy was _none of that_? Clearly, this Pokémon knew something that the other two didn't know... but how?

"Do you know where Snivy is?" I asked, hoping he'd know.

"Why are you so intent on seeing Snivy? Hmph." The Pokémon turned back around and faced me. "Unfortunately, I don't know-... Huh?" He tilted his head to the side. He stepped in front of me and knelt down, looking at my chest. It was then that I remembered Eevee's pendant. "That pendant... it reminds me so much of her..."

It reminds him of someone?

"Who does it remind you of?"

"Uh..." The Pokémon nervously hesitated. "No one. Never mind. Forget it..." I sensed his voice get a little shaky. "Look, you're better off leaving this place before you get hurt. Unlike me, the other Pokémon probably won't let you off as easy..."

I stood up, and agreed to his advice.

I turned around, checked my messenger's bag (which still had everything in it), and began to walk away from him. However, once I was out of his sight, I decided to head back, and follow him. How did he know so much about Snivy? And how did the pendant look familiar to him? There's something he's not telling me... and I want answers.

Fortunately, the Pokémon stuck to traveling along the ground, instead of going back up in the trees (like when I first saw him). Using my minor psychic powers, if I walked slowly enough, I could listen to his footsteps, and feel when he got suspicious. I continued to follow him for a good five minutes, being careful not to step on any leaves, twigs, or anything that would make noise. At one point, when I pushed past a bush, he heard it rustle and stopped to look around. My heart began to race, but I kept my head down. I suddenly thought about what he'd do if he found me... Actually, what _would_ he do if he found me? He definitely wouldn't let me go, but would he really go as far as killing me without reason? Maybe he'd demand me to tell him why I was following him... Eventually, he gave up looking for the source of the noise I made, and I continued to follow him.

Finally, he came to an open area, with a cliff off to the side. I still hid myself in the forest behind him. The Pokémon stared out at the edge of the cliff. It was right then that I noticed the sun was setting. I began to worry about having to travel back in the middle of the night. Although, if I leave now, I might make it out of the forest before the moon rises... but, then I might not ever see this Pokémon again, and he knew something about Snivy; I didn't want to miss this chance.

The other Pokémon ended up watching the sunset for what felt like forever. Therefore, I had to watch it with him, too. Thank goodness I'm use to not doing anything for hours on end. Finally, when the sun was halfway past the horizon, the Pokémon got up and walked to my left. I kept my eye on him as he dragged his feet... It looked like he was really depressed over something. He walked up to a lonely white rose that stood tall in front of a tree... Why am I just now noticing that flower? It looks out of place from the rest of the vegetation in the forest. Next to the flower, there appeared to be some kind of handle coming from the ground. I have no clue what that could be. The Pokémon knelt down in front of the flower, quickly looked around (checking for other Pokémon, I assume), and slowly raised his arms. He grabbed the hood of his cloak, and pulled it down, revealing the Pokémon that he was. His leafy tail also became exposed when he lifted up the back end of his cloak. I guess he was really intent on hiding who he was if he had to cover that much of his body... Wait a second...

Pointy nose?  
Green skin?  
Leafy tail?  
And the use of a _leaf blade_?  
I know who this is! I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out, though... I slapped my forehead at my stupidity. I may not be a complete psychic, yet, but I should've been smart enough to figure it out from the beginning...

Unexpectedly, I heard the Pokémon talk to the flower.

"Eevee... What's happened to me?" He looked down at his hands.

The fact that he just mentioned Eevee made me one-hundred percent certain that I knew who this Pokémon was. I jumped out of the bushes and gave myself away.

"So, I was right! You're _Snivy_!"


	5. Snivy?

"Hey, Snivy! I've been looking for you!" I flashed him a smile.

If Snivy knew I was looking for him, then why did he lie and say that he wasn't here, even though _he was standing right in front of me_? Why was he trying to hide himself from others? Hm... Maybe he really didn't want to see another Pokémon again.

"So, uh..." I didn't want to ask him to come back to Paradise right away. That would be sorta rude. I tried thinking of _something_ to say to him... I guess I should introduce myself.

"Sorry to bother you. My name is Braixen. I've come from a faraway place, searching for you."

Despite my introduction, Snivy didn't respond to me. He just stood there, with a stern, patronizing glare... I started to get uncomfortable.

"Hehe..." I awkwardly laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm really bad with introductions, aren't I? Um... why exact-"

"Leave... now..." That was all Snivy said. His tone of voice had a dark wisp to it. Honestly, the way he kept looking at me... I started to become afraid of him. But, I didn't want to leave; I need him to come back with me.

"Uh... Why do you want me to leave?"

Snivy still kept his eyes on me. Now, his red eyes began to feel like they were piercing right through me. He knelt down and reached behind him, grabbing the handle that was sticking out of the dirt. As he slowly stood up, he pulled the handle out from the ground, revealing it to have a long, silver blade connected to it. He unsheathed his sword from the earth... his legendary sword... The image of Snivy standing there, wearing a black cloak, with his blade in his hand, was exactly what I was expecting him to look like. He gave off a powerful presence. Just looking at him made me feel weak...

"You're being here is desecrating this place..." He tilted his head down, _still_ continuing to give me that uncomfortable stare. "If you don't want me to harm you, then you'll leave, now!" His unexpected, sharp command caused me to flinch.

Desecrating this place? What did I do? This is the first time I've ever been here. I didn't do anything to him... I know that if I were to fight him, I most likely wouldn't live, but I can't leave. I don't want to go back to Paradise as a failure; I want to save it!

I continued to hold my ground. I didn't say anything to him, but I was completely confused at the way he was acting. He raised his sword with his right hand, next to his face; His left arm was extended below.

"I've warned you twice... You leave me with no choice..."

Before Snivy did anything else, I closed my eyes and calmed myself, taking a deep breath. Okay Braixen, before you do _anything_, think this through. Even though you're not a complete psychic, you're growing into one. Just focus...

Can I fight Snivy? No, I don't want to hurt him.  
Can I run from Snivy? Yes, but then I'd fail my mission.  
Is Snivy still willing to listen to reason? At this point, no. I can't persuade him to stop. But, that's my fault though, since I became so frightened by him that I couldn't speak up earlier.

Hm... Guess my only real option is to fight him.  
But I can't...  
But if I don't, he's going to kill me.

I opened my eyes... I have no other option...

Snivy charged at me, thrusting his sword at a lightning fast speed. Holy crap, he's quick! Luckily, I jumped back and avoided his first swing (I have to thank Mienshao for helping me improve my reflexes with all that sparring we did). I grabbed my wand, striking it along my tail as I pulled it out; The tip of it began to burn indefinitely. As Snivy ran up to me a second time, I instinctively held my wand up horizontally, while he swung his sword down vertically. I was shocked to see that my wand blocked his attack, and didn't get chopped in half (although, I noticed that he did put a chip in it). As we stood there, with our weapons locked together, I looked into Snivy's eyes. I was expecting him to be angry, but I didn't see any sign of enraged fury. In fact... his eyes showed regret, with a hint of guilt. It's almost as if he didn't want to fight me, like he knew what he was doing right now was wrong...  
Being the bigger Pokémon, I pushed Snivy away, causing him to fall on his back. I quickly jumped back, too, to make sure he wouldn't swipe at me.

"Snivy, what are you doing? This fight is pointless. I didn't come here to harm you..."

Unfortunately, my attempt at trying to reason with Snivy failed. He ignored what I said, and stood back up. I began to plan my next move as he got into his stance, holding his sword up...

Hm... I should probably do something about his sword, or he really _will_ kill me. I closed my eyes, and focused. If there was ever a time where I would greatly appreciate using a psychic move, now would be that time. I just need to imagine grabbing his sword to put a psychic power over it. I held out my right hand, and pictured my hand over his blade. I tried giving it a little jerk.

"W-what the-?" I heard Snivy flinch as I moved his sword. Okay, I have control. Now, I just need to...

I pictured tightly gripping his sword by the blade. However, I felt my psychic force collapse in itself and dissipate. Crap! I lost control!

The moment I opened my eyes, I had a fraction of a second to dodge Snivy's next swing. As I rolled to the side, I felt his blade brush against the tip of my tail. Phew, I barely made it... As Snivy stumbled forward from missing, I took the opportunity to counter. I took the non-burning part of my wand and thrust it at him from the side.

"Gah!" Snivy cried out in pain from my attack. He fell to the ground and rolled a good few feet away from me. Sheesh, I didn't think I hit him _that_ hard, but he quickly got back up; I could see determination in his eyes...

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Okay... Let's try getting rid of his sword again. I held my wand our towards him, and put my other hand on my forehead, concentrating... I could feel a psychic force on his blade, but this time, I lightly grabbed it. Now, using my wand as a guide, with great pressure, I flung his sword out of his hand, and tossed it over near the forest. Snivy fell forward on the ground, again. I quickly ran up to him, and held the flaming tip of my wand in front of his face. The burning fire reflected in his blood-red eyes.

"Snivy, I don't want to fight. Just stop..."

Snivy looked up at me, apologetically. However, instead of saying sorry, or making any kind of apology, he closed his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists, and began to shake. I couldn't tell if he was angry, or sad... I began to feel sympathetic, and I took my wand away from his face. But-

"I'm not going to lose!" Snivy cried out, filled with a new vigor for battle. He formed his leaf blade in his left hand, backhanded. He lashed out a fury of slashes, but I was able to either step to the side, duck, or just simply step back to avoid his swipes.

I was told Snivy was a fearsome opponent... but he hasn't made one hit on me yet. And I managed to get his sword _away_ from him. His attacks were all easily dodge-able, too. What's with Snivy? Why is he so... weak?

Of course, as I'm lost in my thoughts, Snivy _did_ manage to swipe at me. His leaf blade sliced right across my chest. However... I didn't feel anything. Literally, there was no pain. I stood there in confusion, while Snivy slashed at me again. But the same thing happened... I felt nothing... There were no cuts or incisions anywhere on me as he kept slicing at me. Snivy went into a blind rage, and just kept furiously slashing away, as I just stood there, unfazed. Even though grass doesn't harm fire, I should've felt _something..._ Yet, he caused me no pain at all...

Finally, Snivy stopped slicing away, and just stood there breathing heavily from his outrageous, yet futile attack. He fell to the ground on his hands and knees, keeping his head down.

"Eevee... I'm sorry... I failed again..."

So, this was _the_ Snivy? He was more like a troubled warrior than a great hero. The only redeeming quality that I could see he still had was his determination. "Please... get me my sword..." he asked. I probably shouldn't have, but I felt kind of bad seeing him there, exhausted...

When I came back with his sword, I held it out to him. But he didn't take it.

"Please... End me..."

What the hell is wrong with him!? I don't want him dead!

"Snivy! I told you: I didn't want to fight, let alone _kill_ you."

"But what's the point of even staying alive, now!? I couldn't save her... and I couldn't even save myself. I should be dead... There is no reason for me to keep going on. I have no value to anyone..."

Hearing Snivy talk so badly about himself irritated me. If he was a hero, then why is he acting like a wimp and just giving up? I don't plan to actually kill him, but I decided to go along with him. I crossed my arms.

"Hmph... Are you sure you want me to kill you?" Snivy didn't respond. "Alright, tell you what: I'll decide whether or not you should live, but only if you tell me what happened..."

Snivy looked up at me.

"What... happened?"

"Yes. I want to know what happened to you... and Eevee..."

Snivy's eyes widened.

"Eevee..." he whispered her name as if he had forgotten about her. He slowly struggled to stand back up, and I handed his sword to him. Then he turned around and dragged his feet over to that white rose that stood by itself in front of a tree. Staring down at it, he whispered, again,

"Eevee..."


	6. Shattered Fates

**Note: This chapter gets a little dark towards the end. If you're having a bad day, or just feel like crap, I recommend you don't read it.**

* * *

Having saved the world from the Bittercold, the rescue team (Team PokéHeroes), and myself, went about the rest of our lives without the fear of death on all of us. We continued to carry out requests for help and assistance, assuring the rest of the Pokémon on this planet that we would not leave them on their own. After all, it was the only thing that kept us busy and brought in money for handling Paradise and such.

The day began just like any other day for us... And by that, I mean I lazily slept in, while everyone else got up early and prepared themselves for the day ahead. It wasn't until about half an hour later that _she_ would come over and wake me up...

She placed her paws on the bed and rocked it back and forth.

"Come on, Snivy! Get up!" I tossed around in bed for a minute before slowly sitting up and stretching my arms. She let out a sigh. "Snivy, you're so lazy. How can you sit there and do nothing when you were chosen to carry the Legends' sword?" I yawned and rubbed my eyes before answering her.

"Because if I'm always the one given important work, then I think I should take the time to relax when I want. Just because I don't like working, doesn't mean I don't do a good job at it..." She let out another sigh. "But, I have to admit, without you here to keep me on task, I'd probably be long gone by now." I smiled at her. And she grinned back.

Oh, Eevee... her beaming smile and jolly personality always brightened my day. Back when the Bittercold loomed over all of us, when finding trust in another Pokémon was hard to come by, Eevee was the only one there for me. Despite my first thoughts of hate and resenting her, she still treated and cared for me as a friend. And I grew to love her for that... Because of her, I felt that the world needed more Pokémon that showed sympathy and care for those less fortunate than others. Thus, I joined her team, not only to get closer to her, but to help the rest of the Pokémon on the planet, so that they don't _ever_ fall into the same depressive isolation and loneliness that I went through.

I got out of bed and stretched out my feet and tail. I opened up a chest near my bed to grab my belongings, like my sword... but it was strangely missing... Only my satchel was in the chest. Before I had a chance to question where my sword was, I heard Eevee behind me.

"Looking for something?" She teased. I turned around and saw her holding my sword in her mouth. I laughed at how out-of-character she looked.

"Have you ever even used my sword before?" I retrieved it from her mouth so she could speak.

"I don't want to try using it. It's very important to you, after all. Plus, I'd find it difficult to fight with it in my _mouth_."

"Hm... well, maybe when we get back from today's jobs, I'll teach you a little swordplay." She smiled at me.

"Hehe... If you insist..."

I followed her outside, where the sun shined brightly down on us, feeding us warmth and sunshine. And just like our usual routine, we looked over our message board, to see what jobs were requested today. Let's see...

"Looking for lost item." No.

"Need an escort through a dungeon." Nah...

"Searching for berries." Jeez, are there any _interesting_ jobs? Don't get me wrong, I want to help other Pokémon, but I want to help those who are in a _greater_ danger, like they're stuck in a volcano, or lost in a labyrinth... I want adventure!

"Looks like we got another load of easy jobs..." I sighed.

"Hm... but maybe we have some challenge requests... Oh! Look!" Eevee tore off a note near the bottom of the board. We both scanned it over.

**Challenge Request  
****To:** Snivy and Eevee of Team PokéHeroes  
**From:** Dusknoir  
**Location:** The Forest of Shadows  
_"So, you're the fabled PokéHeroes, huh? You've saved the whole planet, from it's beautiful corruption... How could you!? I challenge you're two leaders, Snivy and Eevee to a battle. Meet me in the Forest of Shadows..."_

Eevee and I were _astounded_ at how the challenge specifically called us out. We both became a little petrified by the letter. This Dusknoir... Why us? We _saved_ the planet. We stopped it from corrupting... He made it seem like we had done something bad. Eevee was also confused.

"Beautiful... corruption?" She questioned. I agreed on that, too. What the heck does that mean? Just then, Oshawott and Mienfoo walked over to us.

"Hey Snivy! What's up?" I handed him the letter without saying a word. He confusedly took it, and the two of them looked it over. While they read it, me and Eevee exchanged looks of confusion and curiosity. Something was wrong with this challenge request... I started to get a bad feeling... Oshawott handed me the note back. He and Mienfoo were just as confused as us.

"So... what do you plan to do?" I held my hand to my chin and thought about it.

"Okay... there's clearly something strange here... it could be some kind of trap..."

"But what if it's a real challenge request, and we're just getting the wrong idea?" Eevee argued.

"That is true; It could be legit... Ugh, I wish it wasn't so vague..."

"Maybe we should, at least, check it out, and if things get bad we'll just run away... Aren't Dusknoir really strong Pokémon? What if we can get him to join our team?"

"Hm... You're right. He _could_ be useful to the team..."

"If you're going, then we should accompany you, too." Mienfoo added.

"No. We can't have four of us go at once; We'll draw too much attention to any other Pokémon out there..."

"But-"

"Don't worry. Like Eevee said, if things get rough, then we'll just pull out of there." Mienfoo and Oshawott gave us a worried look. I tried to reassure them. "Alright, then... How about Eevee brings her pendant along, too? So we can at least have _some_ sort of protection." I saw the two of them relax a little.

"Alright then..." Oshawott conceded. "Just please..." he put his hand on my shoulder, "don't do anything stupid..." I smirked at him.

"Don't worry, that's what Eevee will be there for... to make sure I don't act like an idiot." I chuckled. Oshawott laughed and Mienfoo looked like he was okay with the decision. I turned towards Eevee.

"Well then..." I looked back at the note. "The Forest of Shadows... I guess we should go prepare ourselves..."

"Right..." Eevee nodded her head, and we went back into our base to prepare for our confrontation with our unknown, and strange challenger...

* * *

Eevee and I made it to the Forest of Shadows; I was only equipped with my sword, while Eevee held on to her pendant and a bag full of berries. We stared at the daunting entrance. A small dirt path on the ground faded into the abysmal darkness the deeper you looked into the forest.

"Welp... we made it..."

"Yeah..." The two of us sounded nervous to go in... Okay, we _were_ nervous to go in. We had no idea of the danger we were possibly diving into. We didn't know what lied in the forest. All we knew, was that there was a Pokémon in there, waiting to fight us.

"Well... we can't leave Dusknoir waiting." Eevee said. She then took a few steps into the forest.

"Eevee, wait..." I called out to her. Now would probably be my only time to say anything to her. "Before we go in... I just want to say..." I paused. Honestly, I didn't know what to say. I sighed. "If anything should happen- and I know that's not very likely... but if anything _should_ happen... I just want you to know that you're very important to me." I wrapped my arms around her. "I love you..." Eevee hugged me back, too.

"Hm... You're important to me, too, Snivy. Don't think I won't get upset if something should happen to you, too." She winked. We let go of each other.

"Alright then... let's go!" Eevee followed behind me, and we began searching through the forest for Dusknoir.

The thick vegetation of the forest was bothersome to walk through, but it didn't stop us from pressing forward. I found myself using my sword to cut through some of the thick bushes and shrubs that got in our way. After about half an hour, Eevee and I became irritated at the fact that we hadn't found Dusknoir yet. We took a moment to rest.

"It feels like we've been walking in circles..." Eevee complained. "Hey, why don't you hop up in the trees and see if you can make anything out from up there?"

"Hm, why didn't I think of that? See Eevee? What would I do without you?" I smiled at her. Eevee closed her eyes, grinned, and let out a sigh of half-disappointment. Using small bursts of psychic energy from my feet, I leaped up the branches into the trees. I poked my head through the roof of leaves and saw the sky. The sun was beginning to set (it did take us a few hours to even arrive at this forest). I slowly panned the area, trying to see if there was any area that stood out. Every direction looked the same, just an endless view of the treetops. There was a field over in the south; That's where we entered the forest. But, I did however, see over in the east, the edge of a cliff. It was somewhat small, but it was the only place that stood out. I hopped out of the trees and landed next to Eevee. She was snacking on some of the berries she had in her bag; I guess she got hungry. I sat down and ate a few berries with her.

"So, did you find anything?" She asked.

"Over in the east, I saw a small cliff edge. We'll check it out after we eat." She nodded her head.

When we finished eating, I lead the way, and Eevee followed behind. I don't know why, but I felt my heartbeat begin to race. I couldn't tell if I was nervous, scared, or excited. I began to pick up my speed, and hurried toward the cliff...

Finally, we made it to the edge. We were met with another Pokémon. The back of a dark ghost Pokémon stood before us. The sunset that shone above the horizon projected its light at us from an angle, causing the Pokémon to appear as a silhouette. Without looking at us, he gave us a greeting. His voice had a deep, dark, dreadful tone that made Eevee and I uncomfortable.

"So... You came. Honestly, I didn't think you would. Especially since you two are the ones who freed the planet... Freed it from it's superfluous _destruction_. I figured you'd be much too busy to attend to silly requests like mine..." The Dusknoir turned around and faced us, with his hands behind his back. I became more frightened by seeing the front of his appearance. I never actually met a Dusknoir before; his stomach looked like it had a mouth on it. I couldn't tell if it was real or not. And if it was... Did he... Did he actually eat Pokémon? Or did he eat their souls? I shuddered the more I thought about it. However, I put on a tough front, so I didn't look scared. "Perhaps I should thank you for coming all the way out here to see me. I guess it is an _honor_ to meet you two, and I thank you for taking my request. However..." Suddenly, a group of Sableye jumped out from the forest behind us. They all had snickering smiles and wicked laughs. Their jewel encrusted eyes had an alluring gaze to them, almost like they could see into me... I wasn't able to figure out how many of them there were... "Unfortunately, I can't let you two leave this place alive."

…

Wait, this is a challenge request... He actually wants us _dead_!? Why? What for? Eevee spoke out (almost as if she read my mind).

"Hold on, what are you doing? You requested a challenge... We're not here to fight _to the death_. Why are you doing this?" The Dusknoir looked back out at the sunset.

"Because... the world needs to know that even the strongest Pokémon have weak points. No matter how great they may seem, they will eventually fall. You can't keep a world pure forever; as long as there is light, there will be darkness to accompany it. When I heard about how you and your team destroyed the Bittercold, I grew furious." Dusknoir turned back and faced us. Unexpectedly, he snapped. "How could you do something like that!? Don't you know that the more beautiful and pure something is, the more enjoyable it is to corrupt and destroy it?"

I was starting to get a very bad feeling about this Dusknoir...

"I can't forgive you for stopping the darkness, and letting light come back to the world. Therefore, I need to show the world, that even the mightiest can have their fates crushed; That the darkness still lingers among every Pokémon."

I glanced over at Eevee, and she looked at me, too. We didn't say anything, but we telepathically agreed on the same thing...

This guy is a complete psycho. We need to stop him.

I put my hand on my sword and got in a comfortable battle-stance. Eevee also prepared herself.

"Hmph, you requested this fight, and that's exactly what you're going to get."

"Very well then..." Dusknoir held out his hand, pointing it at us. "Attack!"

The Sableye immediately lunged at us. I quickly held up my sword and blocked one that swiped at me. A loud _clang_ sound reverberated through the air from the attack. I pushed it away, and tried to focus on fighting Dusknoir. However, I kept getting cut off by the Sableye. They were really quick; I found myself blocking their attacks more than fighting back. I occasionally looked over at Eevee, to see how she was doing. Luckily, she was quick, so she had no problems dodging any attacks. Dusknoir stood outside the horde of Sableye, and launched many aura and psychic beams at us. Fortunately, his attacks were sluggish, and also easy to avoid. But these damn Sableye were making it impossible to fight back. Eventually, Eevee and I found ourselves back-to-back in the middle of the Sableye.

"Snivy, I think I should try my pendant."

"Alright, go for it."

Eevee held her pendant in her hands, and closed her eyes.

_"O' melody, beckoning toward-"_

Unfortunately, she had to stop because as I was trying to keep the Sableye away from her, another one sneaked its way past me. Eevee, however, stopped just in time to avoid it. Soon, we found ourselves back-to-back again.

"Well, that's not going to work..." She was irritated.

"I'll try my sword then. Cover me..."

I stood still and held my sword straight up in the air.

_"O' powers of the Gods above, grant me-"_

But then, I too, got cut off from my incantation. Despite Eevee's speed, she wasn't quick enough to keep all the Sableye from getting to me. I did dodge them, though.

So, we found ourselves unable to use any of our special abilities. But that's only because of these freakin' Sableye. They were like flies; They kept buzzing around and wouldn't go away. Trying to run away from these guys was _impossible_. As the two of us continued to just dodge their attacks, we realized that we were getting tired, practically exhausted from all the fighting. I had a hard time trying to focus and keep up with the Sableye. But, eventually, they caught me off guard and pinned me to the ground. I let out a cry in pain from being bound to the ground.

"Snivy- Ugh!" Eevee called out to me when she heard me. However, this caused her to get distracted, and then the Sableye pounced down on her, too. The two of us were pinned down, unable to break free...

"Well, well..." Dusknoir floated over to me. I couldn't tell what kind of facial expression he had, but if I could, I'd imagine he'd have a sinister smile on his face. "Indeed, I would be lying if I said your fight was not a valiant effort. Therefore, I applaud you. But now... this is your end!" His voice got really chaotic on that last sentence. "Let's see how it feels to have your teammate killed by your own weapon. Hehe..."

"Wait! What are you doing!?"

One of the Sableye handed my sword to him. He floated over to Eevee.

"As I told you before... I'm going to show you that even the strongest Pokémon have a weak point." He took the tip of my sword and pushed it against Eevee's back. She let out a cry in pain. I felt my heart ache at seeing her get hurt.

"Don't you dare hurt her! Or I swear I'll-"

…

Just then, I felt my whole mind go blank. What I saw, scarred me for eternity...

My sword...

It pierced right through Eevee...

She died instantly...

…

Her lifeless body fell to the ground... And Dusknoir had the most cold expression on his face. He couldn't care less what happened to Eevee. He just wanted to see me suffer...

I closed my eyes...

My corrupted rage took over...

* * *

Darkness...

That's all I could see... darkness...

My whole spirit was drowned out in an abyss of corruption. I didn't know what was happening, and frankly, I didn't want to know what was happening. I just continued to feel myself float around in the dark, almost as if I was dead...

Suddenly, a voice... There was a voice...

But I ignored it. I just wanted to be left alone... I wanted to forget everything that I just saw... But the voice grew louder, and I had no choice but to listen.

_"Snivy... Snivy..." _I continued to ignore the voice. _"Are you not aware that you are not dead?" _I wanted the voice to go away... I don't know why I decided to say anything to it.

_"Just leave me alone..."_

_ "I will, but I must tell you this first... You are not dead; You're body has just succumbed to darkness. Your mind and body have fallen. Only your heart is what's keeping you alive."_

I remained silent.

_"You may not know this, but you're body is still acting right now. Even as I tell you this, you are creating a violent scene among those you last saw."_

_ "... The Sableye?"_

_ "You are demonstrating some gruesome acts upon the Sableye. But none of it even comes close to what you've done to Dusknoir..."_

_ "Gruesome? What have I done?"_

_ "It is probably best I let yourself finish before sending you back. You will then see what you've done."_

_ "Then tell me... who are you? Why am I here?"_

There was a pause.

_"I... am Giratina..." _The voice answered.

_"Giratina? You mean... from the World Abyss..."_

_ "That is correct."_

_ "Why are you here?"_

_ "I am not here to divulge myself in your personal matters, but the recent event you saw has caused an incredible amount of anti-matter energy to flow through you... When a particular event causes a Pokémon to become filled with rage, anti-matter energy begins to stir within them. When this happens, I decide whether to let that energy flow through the user, or I suppress it, so that it does not cause harm. However, being the one that bears the legendary sword, I allowed more energy to flow through you than usual, so that you may be capable of taking care of whatever it is you are facing."_

_ "But that doesn't entirely solve my problem..."_

_ "I am not done explaining... Because of your request for this power, I also have to inform you that your sword... It is now powerless..."_

_ "What? Why!?"_

_ "The energy you're using now is a rather rare power that not many get to use. Therefore, I was requested by Arceus to revoke the powers of your sword. For the next twenty years, your sword will be nothing more than just an ordinary sword."_

_ "Why twenty years?"_

_ "Because the amount of power you are using is equal twenty times any power your sword could ever give you."_

_ "But... I didn't even ask for this..."_

_ "But you're heart did. That is what I responded to."_

I stopped talking to Giratina at that point. Silence was all that was heard for the next few moments.

…

_"I believe my duty is done now. I'm sending you back. Prepare yourself..."_

I felt the darkness blow away from me. A light engulfed my being. I could feel myself becoming more animate again...

* * *

I awoke face down on the ground. I slowly stood up, horrified at the scene before me. All around me... one after another, were the bodies of the Sableye... They were all _dead_. I looked down at my hands, only to see scratch marks all over them. It looked as though something came out of my finger tips. Did I... grow claws? I looked at my sword on the ground; scratches were marked all over it. I slowly turned around, and saw more of the destruction I caused. There were deep claw marks on the trees. The ground was torn up. The roots of nearby plants were exposed. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I took a closer look at the Sableye. They really weren't moving... They were all lifeless...

Is this really the power that _I_ called for? Did _I_ really do all this?

Suddenly, I saw Dusknoir's limp body... I turned away from the sight of him; I didn't want to know what else I had done...

But then I remembered... Eevee... I quickly panned the area and found her next to a tree, way outside of the destruction... like an angel sitting outside the ring of chaos from the demon...

I walked over to her and fell on my knees...

It's over...

Dusknoir is dead...

But Eevee...

I failed...

_My world came crashing down that day._

* * *

**Fun Fact: The ending to this chapter, when I originally wrote it, was _way_ more graphic that what you read here. I toned it down because I didn't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable; The story is suppose to be serious, not disturbing.**


End file.
